State Says Family Ran Abusive|Nursing Home & Bilked Medicaid

ALBUQUERQUE (CN) – The State of New Mexico claims Dr. Ali Ghaffari and his pharmacist wife owned and operated the substandard and abusive Buena Vista Retirement Center in Clovis, and bilked the state through Medicaid fraud. The state also sued Dr. Ali Ghaffari Sr., and claims the Ghaffaris “caused egregious and ongoing resident harm, abuse, and neglect, and the grossly deficient living conditions at Buena Vista.”

In its federal claim, the state says the Ghaffaris collected $4.9 million from Medicaid. It claims the family “knowingly caused and/or conspired to cause Buena Vista to submit bills to Medicaid for providing qualified nursing home services, despite knowing that in fact Buena Vista was not doing so. At all material times, defendants knowingly assisted one another and cooperated in submitting the false claims and accepting the payments received therefrom … . defendants Ali Ghaffari and Linda Ghaffari personally benefited from the payments received from the Medicaid program.” The state demands penalties and treble damages for false claims, and other relief.